Commonly Used
Foreign Words and Phrases
•Word Definitions
•Example of Use
•Parts of Speech
•Word Origins
Why should we study foreign words?
Foreign words are what created our present day
English language. In order to better understand
our spoken and written language we need to
understand some foreign words and phrases.
These foreign words and phrases help us to better
understand our English language, express
ourselves more clearly, and comprehend
the meaning behind some expressions.
Directions for Use
• To use this power point, click on the word you are studying
from the table of contents . That will take you to the slide with
the pronunciation of the word, the definition of the word, the
origin of the word, the part of speech to which the word belongs,
and an example of the word used in a sentence.
• To hear the word pronounced, click on the word in blue at the
top of the slide. A pronunciation window will pop up and the
word should be pronounced. If this does not happen, just
click on the link in the window that says, “to hear
the word again.” The word should be pronounced.
Table of Contents-1
9th Grade (these words are included in 10th, 11th, & 12th grades as well)
RSVP
alma mater
status quo
déjà vu
cum laude
joie de vivre
faux pas
femme fatale
carte blanche
du jour
esprit de corps
caveat emptor
bon voyage
verbatim
alpha and omega
E pluribus unum
tabula rasa
prima donna
hoi polloi
avant-garde
ad nauseam
Table of Contents-2
10th Grade (11th &
Carpe diem
tempus fugit
C’est la vie
bona fide
savoir faire
non sequitur
Id est
12th also)
enfant terrible
terra firma
vox populi
11th Grade (12th also) 12th Grade
ad hoc
cause celebre
magnum opus
persona non grata
quid pro quo
je ne sais quoi
modus operandi
nom de plume
haute couture
mea culpa
raison d’etre
laissez faire
bete noire
en masse
in absentia
sub rosa
schadenfreude
noblesse oblige
sine qua non
deus ex machina
doppelganger
coup d’etat
RSVP
• Used on an invitation to indicate that the favor of a reply is
requested
• Part of Speech - Verb (used without object) – to reply to an
invitation: Don’t forget to RSVP before Thursday.
or
– Noun (a reply to an invitation) – He sent a lovely
bouquet of flowers with his RSVP.
• Word Origin - from the French phrase
“repondez s’il vous plait”
déjà vu
• Psychology; the illusion of having previously
experienced something actually being encountered for
the first time; disagreeable familiarity or sameness
• The new television season had a sense of déjà vu about
it—the same old plots and characters with new names.
• Part of Speech - Noun
• Word Origin - French
faux pas
• A slip or blunder in etiquette, manners, or conduct; an
embarrassing social blunder or indiscretion
• He committed a social faux pas when he called her Mrs.
Instead of Miss.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French
du jour
• As prepared on the particular day; of the kind
being served today: du = of, jour = day
• The soup du jour is split pea.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French
bon voyage
•
•
•
•
Have a pleasant trip!
Bon voyage, mom!
Part of Speech – Interjection
Word Origin - French
alma mater
• a school, college, or university at which one has
studied and, usually, from which one has
graduated
• I went a football game at my alma mater, UTK.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - Latin
cum laude
• An academic honor given at graduation
(Magna cum laude: with high honors)
(Summa cum laude: the highest academic distinction)
• She graduated magna cum laude from Georgia Tech.
• Part of Speech – Adverb
• Word Origin - Latin
femme fatale
• An irresistibly attractive woman, especially one
who leads men into difficult, dangerous, or
disastrous situations; a siren
• Angelina Jolie is a true femme fatale.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French
esprit de corps
• a sense of unity and of common interests and
responsibilities, as developed among a group of persons
closely associated in a task, cause, or enterprise, etc.
• Participation in community service improves the
group’s esprit de corps.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French
verbatim
• in exactly the same words; word for word
“to repeat something verbatim” – Adverb
corresponding word for word to the original - Adjective
• James mother told him to tell the principal about the argument he had
with his teacher. Adv.
• This is a verbatim recording of the proceedings. Adj.
• Part of Speech – Adjective or adverb
• Word Origin - Latin
E pluribus unum
• out of many, one
(motto of the United States)
• E pluribus unum was adopted as the national
motto for the United States in 1776.
• Part of Speech – Phrase
• Word Origin - Latin
prima donna
• a first or principal female singer of an opera company;
a temperamental person; a person who takes adulation and
privileged treatment as a right and reacts with petulance to
criticism or inconvenience
• Valerie is the prima donna of our school’s senior play this year.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - Italian
avant-garde
• the advance group in any field, especially in the visual,
literary, or musical arts, whose works are characterized
chiefly by unorthodox and experimental methods
• Apple computers are the avant-garde in technology. Noun
She is very avant-garde in her fashion sense. Adj.
• Parts of Speech – Noun or adjective
• Word Origin - French
status quo
• the existing state or condition
• People with money are often satisfied with
the status quo.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - Latin
joie de vivre
• a delight in being alive; keen, carefree
enjoyment of living
• She displays a true joie de vivre.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French
carte blanche
• Unconditional authority; full
discretionary power
• He exercises his carte blanche frequently.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French
caveat emptor
• Let the buyer beware: the principle that the seller of a
product cannot be held responsible for its quality
unless it is guaranteed in a warranty
• On the web, the advice “caveat emptor” has never been
more apt.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - Latin
alpha and omega
• the beginning and the end of something
(Revelation 1:8); the first and last letter of the
Greek alphabet
• God is the alpha and the omega.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - Greek
tabula rasa
• a mind not yet affected by experiences, impressions,
etc…, anything existing undisturbed in its original,
pure state
• John Locke believed that a child’s mind was a tabula
rasa.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - Latin
hoi polloi
• the common people; the masses; (often preceded
by the)
• The hoi polloi think that Fitzgerald is a great
screen director.
• Part of Speech - Noun
• Word Origin - Greek
ad nauseam
• to a sickening or disgusting degree
• We have heard about all the budget cuts
ad nauseam.
• Part of Speech – Adverb
• Word Origin - Latin
carpe diem
• Seize the day; enjoy the present, as opposed to
placing all hope in the future
• It’s a beautiful day, so forget tomorrow’s tests;
Carpe diem!
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - Latin
tempus fugit
•
•
•
•
Time flies
Tempus fugit when you’re having fun.
Part of Speech – phrase
Word Origin - Latin
c’ est la vie
• express philosophical acceptance of the way things
are: “That’s Life”
• Suzanne’s response to her job loss was, “C’est la
vie.”
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French
bona fide
• made, done, presented, etc…, in good faith;
Without deception or fraud; Authentic; True
• The museum has a bona fide sample of Lincoln’s
handwriting.
• Part of Speech – Adjective
• Word Origin - Latin
savoir faire
• knowledge of just what to do in any situation; tact
• At the fancy restaurant, I realized that I lacked the
savior-faire to use all of the silverware correctly.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French
non sequitur
• an inference or a conclusion that does not follow from
the premises; a statement containing an illogical
conclusion
• We had been discussing plumbing, so her remark about
astrology was a real non sequitur.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin – Latin
id est
• that is to say; in other words
• I’m going to the place where I work best, i.e., the
coffee shop.
• Part of Speech – Adverb
• Word Origin - Latin
enfant terrible
• An incorrigible child, as one whose behavior is embarrassing
An outrageously outspoken or bold person who says and does
indiscreet or irresponsible things
A person whose work, thought, or lifestyle is so unconventional or
avant-garde as to appear revolutionary or shocking
• The spoiled child was enfant terrible.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French
terra firma
• Firm or solid earth or Dry land (as opposed to
water or air)
• After our stormy voyage, we were relieved to set
foot on terra firma.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - Latin
vox populi
• the voice of the people; popular opinion
• The speaker’s address got barely a whisper from
the vox populi.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - Latin
ad hoc
• For the present purpose or end presently under consideration –
adverb
concerned or dealing with a specific subject, purpose, or end –
adjective
• After a tornado swept through the school, an ad hoc group of
parents was formed to assist in the repairs.
• Part of Speech – Adverb or Adjective
• Word Origin - Latin
cause celebre
• Any controversy that attracts public attention
• The question of the draft was a cause célèbre in
the 1960s.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French
magnum opus
•
•
•
•
a great work
Moby Dick was Melville's magnum opus.
Part of Speech – Noun
Word Origin - Latin
persona non grata
• an unwelcome or unacceptable person
• He has become persona non grata in our
club.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - Latin
quid pro quo
• One thing in return for another
• The Chinese may make some concessions on trade,
but they will no doubt demand a quid pro quo, so
we must be prepared to make concessions too.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - Latin
je ne sais quoi
• an indefinable quality that makes somebody or
something more attractive or interesting
• She has a certain je ne sais quoi that charms
everybody.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French
modus operandi
• a method or way of doing of something
• Her modus operandi in buying a new car always
included a month of research.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - Latin
noun de plume
• a naming word; a word or group of words used as
the name of a class or people, places, or things, or of
a specific person, place, or thing
• Samuel Clemens noun de plume is Mark Twain.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French
haute couture
• top fashion; exclusive and expensive clothing made for
an individual customer by a fashion designer, or the
industry that produces such clothing
• The new I-Phone is a god send to techies everywhere –
hot technology meets haute couture.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French
mea culpa
• expressing guilt or fault; used to express an
admission of your own guilt
• I gave you the wrong directions to my house –
mea culpa.
• Part of Speech – Interjection
• Word Origin - Latin
raison d’etre
• the reason for being; underlying principle
• Professor Naylor argues that in the nuclear age,
infantry forces have lost their raison d'être.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French
laissez faire
• principle of no regulation of industry; principle that the
economy works best if private industry is not regulated
and markets are free
• People who support a laissez faire system are against
minimum wages, duties, and any other trade restrictions.
• Part of Speech - Noun
• Word Origin - French
bete noire
• somebody or something that is particularly
disliked
• Tax shelters have long been the bête noire of
reformers.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French
en masse
•
•
•
•
in a group; as a body
The protesters marched en masse to the capitol.
Part of Speech – Noun
Word Origin - French
in absentia
• while absent; in the absence of the person or
persons concerned
• The man was tried and convicted in absentia.
• Part of Speech - Adverb
• Word Origin - Latin
sub rosa
• Confidentially; secretly; privately
• The meeting was held sub rosa, due to the
sensitive nature of its content.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - Latin
schadenfreude
• gloating at somebody else’s bad luck; smug or
malicious pleasure taken in somebody else’s misfortune
• To feel envy is human, to savor schadenfreude is
devilish.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - German
noblesse oblige
• notion of aristocratic responsibilities; the idea that people born
into the nobility or upper social classes must behave in an
honorable and generous way toward those less privileged
• In the Robinson family’s circles, public service had long been
common; it connoted not personal ambition so much as noblisse
oblige.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French
sine qua non
• an essential condition or prerequisite
• Her presence was the sine qua non of every
social event.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - Latin
deus ex machina
• god who resolves plot; in ancient Greek and Roman
theater, a god introduced to resolve a complicated plot
• Only a deus ex machina could resolve the novel’s
thorny crisis.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin – New Latin
doppelganger
• double or mirror image
• Doppelganger experiences have led many people to
believe that they were part of a set of twins that
had been separated at birth.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - Greek
coup d’etat
• seizure of political power; the sudden violent overthrow
of a government and seizure of political power,
especially by the military
• The SPD once swore to defend the Republic against any
coup d’etat from the right or the left.
• Part of Speech – Noun
• Word Origin - French